NEED TO KNOW
Two injured seal pups were rescued near Cordova, Alaska, by a volunteer pilot
Duke Marolf flew roughly 1,200 miles to deliver the seals to the Alaska SeaLife Center for much-needed care
ASLC is the only authorized facility in Alaska to rehabilitate marine animals in peril
Two seal pups in desperate need of care found their saving grace in a volunteer pilot, who flew hundreds of miles to deliver them to safety.
The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) announced on June 30 that two harbor seal pups had been successfully admitted to its Wildlife Response Program, the state’s only authorized rehabilitation program for wild animals in peril. Both pups were found near the isolated port city of Cordova, which cannot be accessed by road alone — so local pilot Duke Marolf offered to fly there and back to rescue the seals.
Marolf — who lives in Seward, where the ASLC is located — got in his plane and set out for Cordova, some 300 miles away from the center.
Discovered in the waters outside the city, the first seal pup had injuries that indicated she might have been entangled in a net, and she still had a fresh umbilical cord attached — leading ASLC staff to believe she could have been less than 24 hours old when she was found.Marolf first flew to Cordova, where he carefully helped the injured pup board the plane back to Seward. At ASLC, a preliminary exam showed a “large laceration” on the seal’s body and multiple disturbances to her fur.
Seal pup who was rescued from the Cordova, Alaska area by pilot Duke Marlof.Credit: alaskasealife.org
Not long after the first pup arrived at the center, the second was spotted on a beach nearby on Hinchinbrook Island, about 15 miles west of Cordova. She was found “unusually far from the water,” the ASLC wrote — indicating that she may have been abandoned. Her behavior began to raise concerns among the ASLC’s staff, who also noted signs of dehydration in the seal pup. An eagle appeared to be following her as well.
Once again, Duke hopped in his plane, making the journey to the island even more remote than Cordova.
Between Duke’s two trips to the Cordova area, he flew roughly 1,200 miles altogether to bring both seal pups to safety.
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The second pup’s initial exam showed she had been experiencing “significant dehydration, malnourishment, and an ulcer in one eye.”
At the time of the announcement, the ASLC — which serves as both a research center, rehabilitation facility, and public aquarium — assured the public that both seals are currently receiving care for their ailments.
Read the original article on People